Waurika News-Democrat (Waurika, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, June 6, 1919 Page: 1 of 8
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VOL XVIII
Fobliihed Evtry Friday WAURIKA JEFFERSCX CCU3TY OKLAHOMA FRIDAY JURE 8 ISIS
On Cfc'iir Par Annua C3 41
PROTEST FILED AGAIK3T
NEW COURTHOUSE MOVE
Lengthy petition liberally signed
by citizens from all parts of the
eounty and protesting against the ae-
tion of the eounty commissioners in
the matter of building a courthouse
was died with the county clerk
Thursady afternoon of last week
Petitions were from Ryan Hastings
Addington Terral Ringling Sugden
Fleetwood Grady and several rural
sections
The matter will be taken up by the
commissioners next Monday the date
set in the published advertisement
It will perhaps be finally disposed of
at that time The News-Democrat ban
no direct information from the lead-
ers among the protestors but it is
the general impression that they will
take the injuncton route to stop the
proceedure relying on the constitu-
tionality of the law and appealing
from the decision of the district
judge if it is adverse to them This
they hope will tie the matter np un-
til after July 1 when it will be too
late to make the levy for the fund
and will place it under the directioa
of the new board of commissioners
There have lieen miiny stories sent
abroad over the county- about the
matter the greater number of which
have no foundation Many people
had the impression that all of the
vnrious city town and school district
sinking funds were to be used for
the building of & courthouse The
law under which the commissioners
propose to art provided that the sur-
plus sinking fund of the county alone
might be used in the building of a
courthouse
Surplus sinking funds are defined
as those procured from fines penal-
ties forfeitures and tax penalties
The county has a sinking fund of
about $3000000 but only tbe sur-
plus part of this could be used E J
McBride tbe auditor who baa been
here for some weeks checking up tbe
books of tbe county stated Tuesday
that his check of the sinking fund
showed that something between $21-
10000 and $2200000 of it was sur-
plus sinking fund within the meaning
of the law
The eounty commissioner will
tnke the matter up next Monday To
date they have taken no action ex-
cept to investigate proposed sites
Tbe half block north of the Irving
school building and back of the First
National bank the Talley lots east
of tbe Landon garage th'e corner op
posite the city hall and a site on the
hill across the railroad have all been
mentioned It is reported that a
free site bad been offered across the
railroad Tbe people of Waurika
have apparently been little concerned
in the matter They are willing of
course to have courthouse built
and if tbe commissioners can find a
legal way to proceed they will back
them in securing a suitable site
CUMMINS BRIDGE TAXER
OVER BY THE COUNTY
The Cummins bridge across Beaver
creek on th street running east of
the depot was taken over for the
eounty by tbs board of eonnty eom-
miesoners at tbeir meeting Monday
Tbe city council passed a rcsolutioa
giving it to the eounty at their meet-
ing last week and the commissioner
made a formal acceptance Monday
This bridge is the only bridge lead-
ing out of the town which is wide
enough for vehicles to pass on and
the travel on it has consequently been
heavy
The floor has recently been re-
paired by the city and the bridge
placed in good condition It was con-
structed by B V Cummins when he
was promoting the Sycamore Heights
addition "to Waurika and donated by
him to the city
SUFFRAGE LEADERS
THANK SCOTT FERRIS
Congressman Scott Ferris chair-
man of the democratic national con-
gressional committee has received a
letter of thanks from the lesders of
the suffrage movement in the United
State for the active part he took in
securing th passage of the woman
suffrage nOndment through the
house The congressman from the
sixth district of Oklahoma has al-
ways been an active supporter of the
suffrage cause in the house and this
year he was among those who carried
through the program In the early
diva of the congress The letter of
thank is on behalf of the National
American Woman Sngrag associa-
tion and is signed by its officers
JEFFERSON COUNTY CAN GET
S28CC9 FEDERAL ROAD MONEY
The county commissioners have re-
ceived notice from the state high-
way department that thery is now
available for use in the construction
of roads and bridges 'in Jefferson
county out of the Federal aid money
the sum of $2650170 provided tbe
county will raise a like amount to
match the government money
County Engineer E J Leverett was
at Oklahoma City the first 6t the
week and he states that in all coun-
ties where provision is not mads to
match the government’s appropria-
tion that the money will revert to the
eounties that do He also states that
the roadsonstructed with this mon-
ey must be hard surfaced roads
gravel or better
In order for the county to get this
aid it will be necessary for both
the commissioners and the excise
board to approve the wstimate for
the county funds It is the opinion
of Mr Leverett that this will be done
The letter of the state highway en-
gineer to the county commissioners
follows:
‘‘Owing to the fact that there is
no appropriation made by the state
to offset federal aid apportionment
made to the state of Oklahoma for
the building of roads during the fis-
cal year ending June 30 1920 it has
become necessary for such offset
funds to be supplied on behalf of the
state by the individual counties for
which purpose they may use funds
secured by tax levy eounty or town-
ship bond issue township tax levie
or donations from other sources
The commissioner of highways ha
directed me to inform you that there
is at this time available in this fund
for the use of Jefferson county the
sum of $2650170 dollars for ex-
penditure during the fiscal year end-
ing June 30 1920 in connection with
an equal amount raised by said
eounty on tbe construction of roads
and bridges “within such eounty on
projects prepared by this office and
approved by the bureuo of public
roads of the United States' depart-
ment of agriculture in accordance
with the laws governing such con-
struction “If your eounty wishes to avail
itself of this allotment or any part
of same and to furnish funds to off-
set the federal allotment we will ask
that tbe board of county commission-
ers pass tbe enclosed resolution
keeping one copy of same for your
records and furnishing this office
with the other copy properly signed
and certified and that the same ac-
tion be taVen by the county excise
board with the resolution furnished
for their guidances These resolutions
passed at this time are for the guid-
ance of this office and for yonr in-
formation Additional records of
various kinds will have to be made
during the work of preparation for
construction
“We would ask for prompt action
on your part as allotments unused
by any eounty will he re-apportioned
to the eounties able to make use of
same and we are anxious to be well
informed before the regular annual
meeting of the eonnty excise boards
we will therefore request that you
notify us of your action on or be-
fore June 15 1919 and will re-ap-portion
funds not claimed by that
time
Tours truly '
MAX L CUNNINGHAM
State Engineer
HASTINGS WINS BALL
GAME WITH WAURIKA
Tuesday afternoon Hastings ball
team run down to Waurika for a
practice game with our boys This
little practice game developed into a
real ball game for the Waurika boya
showed better form than either team
expected It was’ the first time the
home boys bad attempted to play
It was a nice little pitchers’ battle
between Joe Pfeffer the Hastings
druggist and Harley Ivey county
treasurer-elect for Waurika Wau-
rika was in the lead by two runs un-
til the 5th inning when a couple of
errors lost them the game The final
score was 10 to 7 in favor of Hast-
ings Waurika made 8 hits 8 errors and
7 runs
Hastings made 7 bits 4 errors and
10 run
The game was not advertised for
there were no arrangements before
blind Hastings called up at 4 o'clock
and said they were coming and that
they would be here by 5 o'clock
There will be other games in the
near future 1
NO DECISION IN SMITH
CATTLE STEALING CASE
The preliminary hearing of Ted
Smith of Hastings charged with be-
ing connected with C W Womack
in the theft of aome cattle from a
Cotton county fanner on the night of
January 31 was held before (bounty
Judge E fj Dillard Monday and
Tuesday and at tbe conclusion of the
evidence the judge took the case un-
der advisement No decision bad
been given at the time of going to
press
Womack confessed to his part la
the affair last week and implicated
Smith in tha deal Smith was later
arrested and placed in jail being
later released on bond
The trial in the case consumed aO
of Monday afternoon Monday night'
until 10 o’clock and Tuesday until
noon It seemed that practically tha
entire male population of Hastings
was present tbe greater part oftheia
being subpoenaed as character wit-
nesses for Ted Smith the defendant
in the case J
C W Womack the mnn who was
arrested some days ago and who later
confessed to stenling some cattle
from a Mr Taylor of Cotton county
some from E K Scott of north of
Waurika and others from other par-
ties implicated Ted Smith in the sug-
gestion of Smith to replace some that
were included in a mortgage given
to W A McAtee and that Smith ac-
companied him to the Taylor farm oa
the night of January 31 and took tha
cattle
The nnms of W A McAtee of the
Fir-t National Bank of Bastings was
brought into the matter frequently in
the ease for the reason that Smith
bad been working forIoAtee in buy-
ing and selling cattle and that Mc-
Atee seemed to he furnishing the
money for Womack to farm on and
to deal in cattle in a small way
The eounty attorney hinted ' in his
argument to the court Tuesday that
n complaint might he filed against
McAtee in the case ne stated that
he evidence brought out at tha pre-
liminary 'bearing waa as euw4L
against McAtee a it was against
Smith and that if Smith waa held for
trial before a jury that McAtee
would have to face a jury too unless
released at a preliminary hearing
Womack throughout a lengthy
cross-examination stuck to his story
but the eormberative evidence seemed
to be short There were some hints
that Womack might plead insanity as
his defense It was stated a number
of times in the trial that he was not
right and one of the counsel a-ked
him if he had not at one time been in
the asylum
Smith was represented by an im-
posing array of counsel there being
four attorneys appearing in his de-
fense His wife and three small
children sat in the court room dur-
ing the preliminary lie took the
stand in his own behalf and denied
the story of Womack in toto His
defense was an alibi and a Hastings
doctor testified that on the night of
the alleged stealing of tbe cattle that
he was at Smith's home at three dif-
ferent times and that Smith was
there
OBSERVE DECORATION DAY
A number of the ladies of the town
nnder the leadership of Mrs T N
Chandler observed Decoration day
lent Friday by going to the cemetery
in the afternoon and decorating the
graves of departed friends Mrs
Chandler also made an effort to have
some one of the local ministers hold
a service at the cemetery but fr
some reason they could not be got-
ten in touch with in time
BIG ENROLLMENT AT EDMOND
County Superintendent Dyer writ-
ing from Edmond last week atates
that the enrollment of teachers in
tbe summer school at that time had
reached 1535 n said that the new
president had just taken charge and
was making a favorable impression
The enrollment of teachers from this
county is also large Jefferson coun-
ty is represented on the summer
school faculty by Prof Dyer and
Prof Smith of Waurika Prof Mon-
ical of Ryigling and Prof Whinnery
of Ryan
— — i II s
LIFE OF OUR SAVIOR
The “Life of Our Savior" will be
shown at the Empress theatre Sun-
day afternoo This is n splemliJ
piece of art in the way of motion
photography and the managers of
the Empire are expecting a crowd-
ed house It will be shown free of
charge
TWO FREE SCHOLARSHIPS
IN A AND M COLLEGE
The last legislature passed a law
providing for th giving of two schol-
arships in the A and M college at
Stillwater which carry with them th
payment by the stats of $10000 a
year on each scholarship for a period
of two years tbs scholar-hips to be
awarded on th second Fnday and
Saturday in June of each year to the
two eighth grade pupils who pass the
most satisfactory examinations
Tbe examination will be held in the
office of the eonnty superintendent
in Waurika June 13 and 14 Only
those who bars received their eighth
grade diplomas are eligible to enfilr
the contest All the boys who have
graduated from the eighth grade and
who want a chance to go to the A
and M college should mak inquiry
at the office of the county 8Uerin-
tendent in regurd to this examina-
tion Tbe payments on the scholarships
are made at the end of each school
month and will amount to about $10
per month during the school year
This will go a long ways toward pay-
ing a boy’s expenses nt School
RYAN YOUNG PEOPLE
MARRY HERE MONDAY
The marring of Mr Frazier Park'
of Bomerton Texas and Miss Mattij
Todd of Ryan took place in the court
clerk’s office here Monday afternoon
with Rev W A Govett of the Meth-
odist church officiating The young
couple were accompanied to Waurika
by Mrs Beeson Grantham and Miss
Effie Kehoe The couple left on the
afternoon train for the home of tbe
groom for a few days’ visit
The bride is a daughtertof Mr and
Mrs L N Todd of Ryan and is one
of the county’s most popular and ac-
complished teachers She is a grad-
uate of the Ryan High school The
groom is at present enlisted in the U
S’ navy and has about 14 months of
a 4-year term yet to serve His
bride will accompany him to Phila-
delphia where he is at present sta-
tioned with a shore posit on
PACKERS SAY BEEF IS
DUE FOR BIG TUMBLE
jA decrease in the price of beef is
“immediately at hand” according to
a statement issued by the bureau of
public relations American meat
packers’ association
“Despite the fact that beef is al-
ready cheaper Than pork poultry and
mutton it probably will decline far-
ther within the next few days" said
the statement “There are several
reasons Cheaper grass-fed cattle
which hitherto have not been plenti-
ful are now moving to market ’ Ex-
ports of beef from the United State
have practically ceased The gov-
ernment has stopped buying
“It may take a few days for the
lower price to reach the consumer1’
CHAUTAUQUA IN JULY
The Chautauqua committee is in
receipt of a letter from the bureau
this week stating that the original
dates of July 9 to 13 for the Waurika
rhauUuqjaa would hold and that the
advertising’ matte? would be forth-
coming in a few days The rhantau-
qna program for this season is a
good one and everybody in reach
should make their arrangements to
attend
WEATHER REPORT
Rain fell on 12 days during the
month of May making a total of 590
inches and 1539 inches ' since the
first of January Only two Maya in
the last 10 years have been colder
and only two had more rain The
present wheat crop has received 27
inches of water since it was planted
and there are only 7 points difference
in the rain of this crop and the one
of 1914 counting from the same
dates
BATARD SWINDLER ‘
Observer
ATTEND TAX MEETIXG
Tax Assessor T B Leverett and
County Commissioners W P Har-
well ami Dan Cathey were at Oklaho-
ma City last Saturday atteoding a
state-wide meeting of county offi-
cials called by the state board Of
equalization for tbe purpose of dis-
cussing the tax situation over the
state Mrr Leverett says that there
is every indication that the state
board contemplates a raise of 25 or
30 per cent in the valuation on real
estate and perhaps a raise on per-
sonal property
HASTINGS EDITOR SUED'
BY BAPTIST PREACHER
Editor R E L McLain of tha
Hastings Herald is all puffed np on
himself over the fact that he has
been made one of the defendants in
a $350000 damage suit Mae says
that it is enough to make a country
editor feel chesty
It appears that Mack’s troubles all
come because of the fact that he was
elected town justice at the spring
election and in one of his recent
opinions decided that a certain youth
of some 12 or 13 years should serve
a jail sentence of a few hoars for his
obstreperous conduct Osie Yancey
tbe son of Rev W S Yancey ia
the plaintiff in the ease and Judge
McLain and his eity marshal will
bare to defend a $3500 - suit for
damages for false imprisonment
SEND IN YOUR RENEWAL
If you received a notice of the ex-
piration of your subscription last
week and have failed to send in your
renewal do so now Tbe mailing list
will be corrected before the next is-
sue and all from whom we have not
heard will be dropped from the list
Your renewal must be received before
Wednesday of next week if you get
your next week’s paper We do not
print enough extra copies to mail
out back number
HAWKEYE WELL -TO BE
PUT DOWN 4000 FEET
The ITawkeye Oil and Gas company
who have been drilling in 33 4 5 on
the Burnett ranch southeast of town
have recently entered into a contract
with drilling concern for a 4000
foot test on thejr property The well
which they propose to put down to
this deHh is already down to a depth
of about 2100 feet and most excel-
lent showing have been encountered
at several places
The company have recently bought
expensive drilling machinery and are
prepared to make the test Mr E E
Kijrawser of Coons Rapid Ioa is
the president and general manager
of the company and he to her giv-
ing hi personal attention to the well
It is understood that th principal
part of tbe stockholder of the com-
pany are Iowa people
WAURIKA DRUG STORES
T0 CLOSE FOR CHURCH
The three drug stores of the towe
the Rexall Weaver and Durnam this
week signed an agreement to close
their places of business during the
hour of church services both morn-
ing and evening The closing hours
for the morning are from 10 to 12
and tbe evening closing hour will be
8 JO The proprietors are to be con-
gratulated for their action in this
matter
6000 ROADS BOOSTERS
TO ARDMORE NEXT WEEK
Tuesday and Wednesday of next
week June 10 and 11 are the dates
set for the big D C D highway con-
vention to meet at Ardmore and this
promises to be the most largely at-
tended road meeting held in the south
west Many prominent speakers gov-
ernors and congressmen are expected
to he present
Waurika is on the Ene of the high-
way and will no donbt have n big
delegation to attend the meeting Ail
of the delegations from the towns
along the line from here to Denver
will pass through on their way to
Ardmore Each town along the way
ia supposed to have its ears decorat-
ed to join in the procession ns it
passes through
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
DISCUSS RAILROAD MOVE
The question of the new railroad to
be built into Waurika was the chief
topie of discussion at the meeting of
the Chamber of Commerce last Fri-
day night It waa voted to make an
effort to raise a fash bonus of
$2000000 for the project one half
to be paid when the road was built
in from either the east or west and
the other half when the remaining
lap was completed
W n Divers C G Stuard C A:
Martin and G W English were ap-
pointed ns n committee to raise the
bonus
HILL KILL CUDS
All dogs not properly tagged trill
be killed after Jane 13 according to
announcement made by Kightwatch-
man Mount Morris There are many
dogs running around town without
tag This is contrary to the eity
ordinances and after June 15 aD dog
ordinances will be carried ont to the
letter
ACTS CF LEGISLATURE
REFERRED TO FECFLE
One initiative petition ban bdtn
completed and three others are in
circulation the purpose being to sub-
mit three measures enacted at the
last session of tbe legislature to n
referendum vote and to initiate one
bill which the legislature failed to
pass The famous 12-A amendment
to the constitution providing for a
distribution of the schools’ shares
of taxes paid by publie service cor-
porations upon a per capita basis
in all counties of tbe state instead of
in the counties in which the tax orig-
inates has been completed If the
governor does not refer it to n special
election it will go upon the baOot at
the next general election 1920
Twelve-A received the required ma-
jority when previously submitted
but the legislature failed to vitalize
it
Automobile dealers and others ars
circulating petitiones to refer house
bill 509 passed as n part of the fifty-
million dollar good road bonds pro-
gram This changes the license tax
from a horse-power basis to the sell-
ing price of the ears as new and was
expected to raise a much’ greater
revenue fban the present law
Employer are circulating petition
to refer the workmen’s compensation
law This measure was passed in
1915 and amended at the 1919 ses-
sion Employers assert that the law
as it now stand is not fair to them
Organized labor has regarded tha
strengthening and revision of the
workmen's compensation law as the
most jmportant part of its legisla-
tive program
Tbe other measure sought to be re-
ferred is the “bone-dry law” which
was enacted in the form of absolu-
tion ratifying the national prohibition
amendment
There has been considerable talk of
initiating alo the new "blue sky”
law which would have made it in-
operative for at least two years The
time for tiling the petitions ha
elapsed however and the law de-
signed in protect tha individual from
the unscrupulous investment promo-
ter win go into effect Jnne 27th
- t
LESLIE H STOWE LANDS -i
IN N Y WITH 1420 IkFAXTRY
Leslie H btowe who is with the
regimen : band of the 142d infantry
landed with his regiment in New York
last Saturday Congressmen E B
Howard and Jim McClintio of Okla-
homa were at the New York harbor to
meet the Oklahoma boys The infan-
try band which furnished such fine
made for the Congressional party
sent to meet them was made np en-
tirely of Oklahoma boya of which
Leslie FL Stowe waa one
The 142d infantry just before sa il-
ia If from Brest was landed by Com-
manding General Smith the embark-
ation general who said “thia is the
best regiment I have ever inspected
at tha American embarkation center
Leman France”
RED RIVER WILLARDS
CAY GO TO CXLAKCHA
Unofficial communications from
Washington state that the depart-
ment of the interior and the depart-
ment of justice hold n uniform view
that the sooth bank of Red river in
the boundary between Oklahoma and
Texas and that the only matter to
be determined in a suit that may he
filed on the part of Oklahoma will he
whether certain sections of the river
bed north of the boundary line belong
to the state or the federal govern-
ment The ease argued in the dis-
trict court of Travis county Texas
few weeks ago involving the boon
dary matter ia still nnder advisement
by the court
HILL LEASE RED RIVER
CIL LADDS CR JULY IS
' The valuable oil land in the Red
river bottom in the Texas oil field
which ia claimed by both the state
of Oklahoma and Texas will be offer-
ed for lease by the state of Oklahoma
in July
The commissi oner of the lend of-
fice Wednesday ordered the land
leased and July 15 ia the date tenta-
tively fixed by Secretary A- S J
Shaw for receiving bids '
The land is located in ranges 12
13 14 and 15 west and is immediate-
ly north of Burk burn ett which ia bow
the most talked of oil eenter ia the
country duo to the phenomenal
growth and development of that sec-
tion within the past few moatl
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Morrison, W. W. & Storms, C. S. Waurika News-Democrat (Waurika, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, June 6, 1919, newspaper, June 6, 1919; Waurika, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1717245/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.